All Over Again
by SunWillRise2340
Summary: I can lend you broken parts that might fit, like this. I will give you all my heart, so we can start it all over again. Sequel to Moments in Time.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **All Over Again

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **Will and the Benedict family belong to Joss Stirling. Beth belongs to me.

**A/N: **Hey. This is the sequel to Moments in Time - if you haven't read it, read it first or this will make no sense. I hope you enjoy. Drop me a review. I'd love to hear from you.

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

Splash. Water flies out of the pool, drenching me from head to toe. "Oliver," I scold. "You've soaked me!"

Olly creaks and clicks at me as he swims to the side, sticking his grey nose out of the clear, blue water. He's laughing – I can tell.

I toss him a fish from the bucket at my feet, smiling as he snaps it up and comes back for more. "Only one left," I tell him, throwing the final fish as hard and far as I can, making it land with a splash at the other end of the pool, near the water gate where his sensible mate, Pingu, is waiting.

In an instant, he's racing after it, towards her, his sleek grey body cutting a path underneath the water. I wipe my fishy hands on a towel that is lying on the hot concrete, and then I pick up the bucket just as Olly leaps out of the water and lands with yet another gigantic splash.

"Show-off," I call good-naturedly over my shoulder as I head towards the feed hut, the bucket bumping against my bare legs. It's November, but we seem to be having a freak heat wave here in Key Largo, Florida. Not that I'm complaining. I love the sun.

I hear Pingu whistle loudly to Olly as I walk away, and I smile. Those two seem to be taking mates-for-life very seriously. Me – I think they're perfect for each other – Olly's the loud bouncy kind, good for working with confident or older children, whilst Pingu is quieter, gentler and a lot more sensitive.

Now, I know I may sound like a complete anthropomorphist, but I believe that each of the dolphins here have their own character; their own special trait that marks them out as individuals. They may not be human, but they are a damned sight cleverer than us – probably more of a people than we'll ever be.

I open the door to the tatty-looking old hut where we keep the fishy treats – fish comes and goes out of the open sea pen, which is where the dolphins spend most of their time – but we still like to give our dolphins treats, and this is where we get them from. It may not look like much from the outside, but inside it has proper worktops for preparing the fish, and freezers for storing it.

I walk through the door to find my boss, Rae Afferson, leaning against the counter, talking to our local dolphin vet.

I brush past the two of them, dump the empty bucket on the counter opposite, turning on the tap to rinse out the bucket.

"It's been confirmed, Beth," she says as I quickly wash the fish juices out of the bottom of the bucket, and throw it in a pile of the things.

"What has?" I ask, boosting myself up onto the counter, and adjusting my sunglasses that are thrown up on my hair.

"We're expecting a new arrival next February," she announces with a proud grin.

"Olly and Pingu?" I ask, my jaw dropping open.

"Yes," the vet says.

"Ohmygod, that's amazing!" I gush. "My two favourite dolphins are having a baby!"

"You're not supposed to have favourites," Rae reprimands me with a teasing smile, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Like you don't love Finley more than the rest of them," I retort, pushing my sunglasses down to cover my eyes.

"True, true," she concedes with a wave of her hand – the vet smiles at her.

"What do you want me to do now?" I ask.

Rae thinks for a second. "Go open the water gate and let Olly, Pingu and Finley out, then you can go for your afternoon off."

"Sure," I say, giving her and the vet a two fingered salute before hopping off the counter, grabbing my sunhat from its hook, and flip-flopping out of the door, back into the bright sunshine. I shove my hat on my head, heading towards the locked gate that holds the wheel for the water gate into the open sea pen.

Pingu, Olly and Finley are waiting by it expectantly, making whistling and clicking noises. I chuckle as I unlock the little gate and put my hands on the big wheel, throwing all my weight into turning it around.

With a groan and a clanking of chains, the metal and wooden lattice starts to rise up out of the sea-foam coloured water, creating little waves and ripples that race off in a perfect circle around it. As soon as the gate is high enough to let them pass, the three dolphins shoot underneath it, three grey arrows heading for the edge of the large sea pen that holds the rest of their pod.

I lock the gate again, then walk back along the concrete paths, passing a family in the care of my co-worker, Abigail. I smile and say hello, but continue on my way to the main office building, behind the complex of pools, cottages and learning rooms.

I key in the code to let myself into the building, taking the steps two at a time up to the main office. "Mina!" I call, bursting in through the door.

"What?" she replies, head bent over a book of calculations.

"Pingu's pregnant," I say. She shoves her chair back, finance forgotten.

"That's brilliant news," she enthuses, hugging me. I grin at her.

"I know. I'm so excited already," I disentangle myself from her enthusiastic embrace, head across to my station to pick up my bag. "I'm off for the afternoon, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," she echoes, sitting back down with a wide smile plastered across her face.

* * *

I amble up the drive towards my boyfriend's house, the gravel crunching under my feet. It's been six months since we got together, though I always have to remind him of important dates like that. He's so forgetful – he'd forget my birthday if it wasn't written in his diary in large red letters.

I let myself into the house with my spare key – I got sick of waiting around outside for him to get back, so he gave it to me – and slip off my flip-flops, taking the carpeted stairs two at a time. He shares this house with three other students – Mia, Ashley and Nick. They're all nice enough, but I get hostile vibes floating around from Mia when I'm flopped out on top of Zach on the sofa.

She's always disliked me, though, so I'm kind of used to it.

As I reach the top of the stairs, I hear noises coming from one of the rooms along the corridor. Noises that mean someone evidently got lucky today. I roll my eyes and head down the hall, stopping dead when I realise that the noises are coming from Zach's room.

No-one is ever allowed in his room without his permission.

My sense of trepidation growing stronger, I shove open the door. All I see is Mia's long, tangled blonde hair and her arms wrapped around Zach's neck.

There is a moment of silence.

I turn and run, anger and hurt ripping their claws through my heart. Why? We were so happy, and he _had _to go and cheat with that…that…

"Beth, wait!" his voice calls out. I stop at the bottom of the stairs, turn to face him. There are tears running down my cheeks.

"Why should I?" I shout. "Why should I interrupt when you're happily getting off with your slag of a roommate?"

"Beth, don't go," he pleads.

"You made your choice," I throw him a scathing look. "I thought I was enough for you, but obviously not."

I slam the door on his heated protest, the tears still streaming from my eyes.

Why? Why would he do that? We were _happy. _

I angrily wipe my eyes, march back down the driveway. He can keep Mia all to himself – I don't care. I don't need him.

I don't care. I really don't.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** All Over Again

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer: **The Benedicts don't belong to me in any way shape or form. As much as I want them to. Beth, however, is mine.

**A/N**: I know, I'm awful. So sorry about the lack of updates, life and my Phantom of the Opera muse kind of caught up with me. Nevertheless, I'm here now and I have a kind of vague idea as to where the story is going. Thank you to all my lovely reviewers. You make me smile!

* * *

**Chapter Two**

* * *

"Why would he do that?" Lacey leans forward across the table, her brown eyes wide. "When we last met up, you two looked settled for life. Happy."

"I know," I wrap my fingers around my coffee.

"He's a jerk," Martha shrugs her shoulders. "Some guys are like that, Beth. Lull you into a false sense of security, then cheat."

"But it's not his fault," I protest, wondering why I'm defending the guy who broke my heart and left me sitting in my bedroom at my sister's place, crying my eyes out for days on end. "If it's anyone's, it's Mia's."

"Look, you have to put it behind you. I know it's horrible when someone betrays your trust like that, but…Georgie, over here!" Lacey waves her arms in the air as the café doorbell tinkles, silvery in the morning air.

The fourth of our little friendship group, gorgeous, blonde Georgia appears, slinging her bag onto the floor and slumping into her seat with a distracted air in her eyes. "Sorry I'm late. Catastrophe at work."

"Not another prison escape?" Lacey teases.

"No, personal more than anything," Georgia shakes her head. "What have I missed?"

"Zach cheated on Beth," Martha tells her. "Little dickhead."

"Honey, I'm sorry," Georgia takes my hand, and I smile weakly.

"It's okay. The others have got me all convinced that he's evil and needs darts thrown at his picture. How are you?"

Georgia pulls a face. "Coping. Work is stressful, but…"

"How's Charlie?" Lacey wriggles her eyebrows, and I sigh and lean my head against the wall. Not that I'm not happy for my friend, who has been with her boyfriend steadily since she went to college, it's just I'm still wondering. What if that wasn't the first time they did that? What if it's been going on all along, and I happened to walk in on them because my early afternoon had been moved?

There has been a distinct lack of pleading text-messages and missed calls from Zach. In movies and things, the one who cheated always phones incessantly, and sends millions of texts begging for the other to take them back. It hasn't happened with me.

"It's been three weeks, and she hasn't got over him," I hear Martha whisper to Georgia, taking my silence and glazed over expression as a sign that I'm not listening. "He doesn't seem interested in wanting her back, though apparently he made a bit of a show when she caught them."

"Maybe she could help him," Georgia muses.

"Help who?" I ask, jerking myself out of my trance.

Georgia sighs. "Okay, listen before you react, Beth. My boss lost his wife a couple of years ago, and he's been taking it really hard, you know, as you would."

"Uh, how old is your boss?" Martha interrupts.

"It's okay, only twenty-three. Today would have been her twenty-third birthday. He locked himself in his office, and we had to walk on eggshells. Not that much is happening at the moment."

"What's his name?" Lacey asks, pushing her fringe away from her eyes.

"Will. Will Benedict, but of course at the station we all refer to him as Sir," Georgia says. "He's a nice guy, he really is, but he's just struggling. Spends his life at work, throwing himself into every little case we're involved in."

"How exactly would I help him?" I frown. "It's not like I show up at the station door and instantly he gets better."

"I just think he needs a friend," Georgia absentmindedly breaks a little of my untouched cake off with my fork. "A friend whom he can rely on to be there whenever something happens…you know the rest of us are too busy, and whilst the others respect him, they think he's odd, too."

Crossing my arms, I shake my head. "I'm busy, Georgie, you know that. I work too, you know."

"It might take your mind off your cheating ex," she wheedles, and I hold back a laugh, wondering not for the first time how Georgie can go from glamorous cop to pleading child in about 1.5 seconds flat. Encouraged, Lacey joins in and Martha groans, leaning back in her chair.

Unable to resist my friends, I sigh. "What time do you want me, then?"

"I get off shift at about five, next Friday. Wait by the front desk."

* * *

Friday sees me standing nervously in front of the police station, tugging the braid I got put into my hair by Mina when she was bored, and adjusting my jacket. In the past month, the freak heat wave has been followed by a cold snap, and my breath comes out in smoke as I try to steady my heart rate.

_It's nothing, Beth, _I tell myself firmly. _It's not like they've gone and set you up on a blind date._

I walk up the steps, my boots clacking on the stone, and push open the front door. "Hello, miss, how can I help you?" the desk sergeant looks bored, tapping away on his computer without a single glance at me.

"I'm actually waiting for a friend. Officer Georgia Emison. She told me to meet her here."

"Sit over there," he intones, and, grateful that he has not made me wait in the street, I settle myself down on one of the benches.

A few seconds later, Georgie appears, still clad in her uniform and her blonde hair falling out of a pin. "Almost ready," she winks at me. "Come with me whilst I get my papers sorted."

She grabs me by the arm and tows me past the desk-sergeant, who has picked up the phone and doesn't seem interested. "I'm not supposed to be doing this, but there aren't many people in the office."

"Okay," I say, as she pushes open a door leading into a messy office area with several stations, and leading me to one with a picture of her and a chestnut haired boy stuck up above the computer.

"This is me," she says, gathering papers and sorting through them, muttering to herself. We were there for about five minutes before a male voice speaks up.

"Officer Emison, you know we don't allow members of the public into the office."

My head jerks up, and I blush as I meet a pair of brown eyes, looking at me out of a handsome, if tired face.

"I'm sorry, Captain Benedict. Beth's my friend, and I didn't want to leave her waiting in the cold lobby for me to sort these out."

He glances at her for a second, then nods tersely. "Don't let it happen again, Georgia."

"No, sir," she says. I suddenly feel shy and duck behind my hair, expecting him to go back into his inner office, but he doesn't, leaning against the doorjamb casually, looking at us but not seeing us.

I begin to fiddle with the cheap dolphin necklace, a freebie from the shop at the centre, feeling incredibly awkward until the ring of Georgia's phone breaks the silence.

"Sorry, Beth, got to answer this," she picks it up, holds it to her ear.

"Hey!" comes her enthusiastic response to whoever is on the other end of the line. Three seconds, she mouths, wandering away to the other side of the office, leaving me and her boss standing there.

"Nice necklace," he comments, watching the chain wind round and around my fingers. I start.

"Thanks. It's from the shop where I work," I reply. Seeing his quizzical expression, the raised eyebrow, I blush again, elaborating, "I work at the Island Dolphin Care Centre, you know, where disabled children go for dolphin therapy."

"Does it work?" he seems curious, shrugging away from the doorjamb and taking a couple of steps towards me.

"Dolphin therapy? Pretty much. It's lovely to see the smiles on the kids' faces when they're playing with the dolphins."

"To bring such joy to people," he pauses. "It must be a wonderful thing."

Georgia puts the phone down, and comes back to where we're standing, swinging her bag over her shoulder. "Ready, Beth?" she asks, a twinkle in her eye.

"Yeah," I say. On a spur of the moment decision, I hold out my hand to Captain Benedict. "Nice to meet you, sir," I say.

He takes my hand slowly, shaking it. "You too."


End file.
